4 weeks

Later this week will mark my first month in Australia. It's the middle of my 4th week already. Time is flying by and I need to push my foot harder on the peddle. 

I find it important for me to be reading the Scripture at least once a day here, either in the morning or just before going to bed. In especially, Paul's letters scream at me because they are so relevant. They really take me to my heart, they reminds me that I am a soldier for God's cause and there is a spiritual battle or war going on and that I must be prepared and well-equipped. 

I am almost finishing Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and yes, I am on Day 40 and I think I will miss it. I will go back to it every once in a while and it helped me get through a lot of stuff for the past half year at least. 

I still remember telling Pam, my ex-worker, when I bought it, I joked that I was getting some self-help book. I read it before when I was a junior in college at Riverside, but I stopped reading it around 14 or 20 or something. Probably in the tens. The first and second moved me a lot back then, still do, it's empowering to know that God loves you, that you are unique and made for a purpose. 

PDL has really driven me in a sense, made me do things that I otherwise would not for God's cause. I surprise myself sometimes. One or two or even more were just illogical and so selfless that I don't get how I could otherwise. 

Life is, I think, like a lesson, and God is going to teach you things every step of the way especially if you are up and willing to take the lessons and learn. 

It's so important to be grounded because the world is very strong. That's why it's so important for me to read the Scripture everyday or a book to remind myself of my purpose in life. 

I watched the documentary, Enron: The Smartest guys in the room. It was really about how people consumed themselves with the world and turned everything upside down including the power crisis in California. How greed and money can take over. We just have to check ourselves every step of the way or we will just get lost (and not even know it until it's too late). We need to be humbled all the time. Of course, I can't imagine to be like them, I am not a business person, I am too nice, too pure (as some people say), too naive and my life has been teaching me that money is not a big deal. I just want to help people and improve the world. 

I do think about working for some aid organization like World Vision and AusAid every once in a while. Man. Should I? Is film for me? 

Bibliolatry

i have been noticing this trend of how seminaries and some younger pastors are being overly academic with a heavy emphasis on the "newest" research on the text of the Bible to a point that neglect the message of the Word. Some people seems to pride themselves on knowing the newest Biblical research trend, knowing theories that others don't know. I find some seminaries are just too emphasized on academic and not enough on their students' spiritual well-being, character and relationship with God.

Seminaries become just another research university or college instead of place of training for servants of God. The world is changing but seminaries shouldn't be worldly despite of all the forces but i guess they are under pressure.

I finally know what the official term is, it's "bibliolatry" but the problem is more than that.


"Some people make the mistake of missing the One to whom the Bible is directing them. They become enamored of learning the depths and complexities of the Bible, and they forget that it points us toward God. This problem is technically called "bibliolatry," which means making an idol out of the Bible. This occurs in some circles that emphasize doctrine or Bible study to the point of neglecting a personal relationship with Jesus, who said that the Scriptures actually bear witness to him (John 5:30)

A preacher once said that this is like the man who goes into a restaurant and reads the menu. Then, exclaiming how great the menu is, he puts salt and pepper on it and proceeds to eat it.

Bibliolatry also points up certain character issues in people, such as valuing intellectual pursuits over relationship, or needing closure and black-and-white answers to theological puzles rather than relating to the God of mystery.

The point here is that while we need to diligently study the Bible, it was not written to satisfy our intellectual curiosity. It was written to give us the path to God, life, and growth. "

Cloud and Townsend
pp.199-200